The Druid Ambassador
by IndigoAndTheFandoms
Summary: When Arthur decides to have peace talks with the Druids, they decided to send their most powerful sorcerer to negotiate, Emrys. How will Merlin manage representing his people and serving his king at the same time? But what about when Morgana realises she could be about to lose any chance of allying with the Druids? Bamf!Merlin, Eventual Reveal fic
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

It was the end of another typical day in Camelot. The sun had set and the sky was a deep blue with still the faintest glimpse of orange at the horizon. Servants were hurrying to put away the dinner plates, knights were changing out of their armour and a certain manservant was dodging a goblet thrown at him by the King.

"Goodnight Sire!" Merlin said with a wide grin on his face as he ducked behind the dark oak door of the King's bedroom.

"Get out Merlin or I'll put you in the stocks for a week!" Arthur, King of Camelot, shouted back. Unfortunately he was shouting at nothing, as Merlin had wisely decided to leave before Arthur decided to throw any more objects at his head. Still grumbling Arthur rolled over in his massive four-poster bed and went to sleep.

Yet Merlin had a lot of work to do before he could go to sleep in his own small bed. His smile dropped as he hurried down to the laundry room with a basketful of Arthur's dirty laundry. If it wasn't all completely clean by the morning, he would have to deal with another lecture from Arthur about what a useless servant he was. Merlin was pretty sure he would rather fight a griffin than listen to that speech again. It was going to take a long time to get the clothes clean as well. Arthur had been trying to teach his knights how to wrestle that morning, and whenever that happened he got grass and mud on everything he was wearing.

Merlin filled a bucket up with water, rolled up his sleeves and grabbed the first of Arthur's shirts. But as he stood there, staring at the pile, Merlin realised how much he had to do and he realised how early he had to get up in the morning. Some random visiting dignitary that Arthur insisted they had to greet was arriving at dawn. To be honest with himself he hadn't been listening when Arthur had been lecturing him about it that morning. He never even bothered to find out the man's name or where he was coming from. Besides, it was late and everyone else had finished all their chores. After glancing around to be certain he was alone, Merlin whispered a spell.

 _Áfeormian þes wæsohús_

His eyes flashed a brilliant gold for a moment before turning back to their normal, but still striking, blue. Even though magic was forbidden on the pain of death, Merlin couldn't help using his considerable power to make life a little easier now and then. After all what's the point of being the greatest sorcerer the world has ever seen if you can't use your powers for completely trivial things? Merlin snorted at the thought, Gaius would be horrified at how he was using his "gift".

Surveying his handiwork Merlin checked all of Arthur's now spotless clothes for any dirt his spell might have missed. Grinning again he folded the clothes so they formed a neat pile and hurried back up the stairs to Arthur's room. Even though no one was allowed into the King's room after dusk, Merlin went in anyway. Arthur and Merlin had come to an agreement long ago that Merlin was allowed into his room at any time, except when he was expressly forbidden to enter.

Silently Merlin pushed open the door and stuck his head in, checking if Arthur was still awake. When he was sure he could hear the gentle snoring of the king, Merlin crept into the spacious room and carefully shut the door behind him. Arthur would deny that he snored at all, but Gwen and Merlin did sometimes laugh about it behind his back.

Thinking of Gwen, Merlin wondered how the Queen was faring, sleeping alone in her own chambers for once. Breaking tradition like usual, Arthur and Gwen almost always slept together in his room. Despite what some of the older and more up-tight members of the court said, Merlin thought it was cute that they could hardly bear being away from each other for a single night. However Gwen and Arthur were separate tonight because Arthur insisted that he didn't want to wake her up so early in the morning. Even though she protested that she got up earlier than her husband most mornings, Gwen eventually allowed herself to be taken to her own room, just down the hall.

Merlin suddenly realised he shouldn't have been worrying about Gwen and should have been more concerned with what he was doing. This epiphany came immediately after he walked straight into the long table that the king used for breakfast, and slammed his thigh into its side. Without meaning to, Merlin jumped backwards and grabbed his leg, barely stifling a curse. As he did so, two things happened. First he dropped the pile of laundry he was holding, which would have fallen to floor if Merlin hadn't quickly and instinctively used his magic to stop it the moment before it hit the ground. Secondly he jumped back and stepped on the goblet that Arthur had thrown at him earlier that evening. Losing his balance, Merlin fell to the ground and landed flat onto his back onto the wooden floor with a sizeable crash. The second he landed on the floor, the pile of laundry also fell to the ground.

In a heartbeat Arthur was out of bed holding his sword and looking around for the source of the noise. When he noticed Merlin groaning on the floor, he was not impressed. Marching over, Arthur pulled his manservant off the ground and immediately started ranting.

"Merlin what the hell are you doing in my room this time? You know I have to be up early to meet with the Druid ambassador! I have to be awake and alert if these talks are going to be successful. I can't be half asleep because my idiot of a servant decided to wake me up in the middle of the night! Well? What do you have to say for yourself? And why on Earth were you on the floor?"

Merlin smiled sheepishly. "Well Sire, I've just finished doing all of your washing for today and was returning it to you when I walked into the table and fell on the goblet that you threw at me when I left earlier. And it isn't really the middle of the night, I've only been gone about half an hour! So you'll be perfectly fine to meet… Wait did you say the Druid ambassador?"

Arthur rolled his eyes at his servant. "Yes Merlin, I'm meeting with someone who is representing the Druids while we start peace talks tomorrow. Honestly, don't you listen to a word I say?"

"I never do Sire." Merlin retorted, but this time his mind didn't seem to be on the banter as he looked away quickly.

"What's the name of the Druid that's coming here?"

Arthur feigned a look of shock. "Merlin, caring about matters of the state? I never thought I'd see the day."

Now it was Merlin's turn to roll his eyes. "Please Arthur, just tell me who he is."

"Give me a moment! Ah, that's it. His name is Emrys."

A/N Hi! So this is my first fic, I hope you all like it. Sorry to leave you at a little cliff-hanger but I promise the second chapter is coming soon. As you might have guessed this is definitely a reveal fic but it will come in a kind of unexpected manner.

Also this chapter is exactly 1208 words long and I promise every chapter will be at least one thousand words!

I'll see you all next time!

-Indigo


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Merlin suddenly looked like he wanted to run. His eyes went wide and Arthur thought he could make out a bead of sweat in the darkness.

"Merlin, are you alright? Do you know this "Emrys?" Arthur stared into Merlin's eyes, trying to figure out what had spooked his friend.

Merlin blinked twice and all of a sudden his face changed completely. The fear and panic that had been so evident on his face disappeared so fast that Arthur wasn't even sure he was looking at the same person.

Merlin let out a small laugh, even though it did sound a little forced to Arthur. "Of course I don't know Emrys! I don't exactly spend what little free time you give me hanging out with Druids, you'd have to execute me if I did!"

Arthur stared. Even though Merlin looked fine, his words contained a hint of hysteria and the idea that Arthur would execute Merlin was just ridiculous. Maybe he should call Gaius and get him to make a draught to calm Merlin down.

"Merlin…"

Merlin suddenly stepped back and put on a slightly paler version of his normal idiotic grin.

"Sorry Arthur, got to run! Always more work for me to do if I want you looking vaguely presentable in the morning!" With that statement he turned and sprinted out of the room, leaving the door to bang shut behind him.

Arthur was left standing in the middle of his bedroom, shirtless, holding Excalibur limply by his side and a pile of his own newly clean clothes at his feet. Shaking his head slightly, Arthur resolved to ask Gaius if there really was anything wrong with his servant's head.

Merlin ran. He ran from Arthur's room all the way to the chambers that he shared with Gaius. As his feet pounded against the stone hallways of the castle, Merlin wondered if running was the best move he could have made. But what else was he meant to do? Stay and let Arthur keep questioning him until he stumbled onto the truth? Panic surged through him and he kept running. What was going on? Why did Arthur think he was about to meet Emrys? Had Arthur ever heard the legends about his powers?

When he finally arrived at Gaius's cluttered room, he hurried over to the small bed where the old man was sleeping.

"Gaius. Gaius! GAIUS!"

Gaius sat up so quickly that he almost knocked his head against Merlin's. He looked around, still half asleep and stared at Merlin like he had grown another head.

"Merlin my boy, what on Earth are you doing? It's the middle of the night!"

The younger boy nodded his head quickly.

"I know, I know and I'm sorry Gaius. But this is important and I need your help!"

Gaius turned so his legs were off the side of the bed and patted the space next to him, his face full of concern.

"Sit down and tell me, what's wrong."

Merlin sat down, his movements sharp and quick, like he would prefer to be moving than sitting down and talking.

"Oh Gaius. I was saying goodnight to Arthur and dodging another goblet he chucked at me because I made another comment about his weight. And then I went downstairs to do his laundry because he has a lot of it and it was all really dirty because him and all the knights were rolling around in the mud. But I was so tired and I have to get up early so I used magic to clean it-"

Gaius interrupted the almost frantic speech of his ward with an urgent question of his own.

"Did anyone see you? Was it one of the servants?"

Merlin shook his head franticly. "What? No! That's not it no one saw anything. Anyway I used magic so I went back upstairs to Arthur's room to put his clothes away. I was really quiet but then I got distracted and walked into the table so I dropped the clothes and tripped onto that goblet he threw at me. I fell, Arthur woke up and he started yelling at me like usual. But this time he said that there was a Druid Ambassador coming in the morning. I didn't know so I asked him who it was because hopefully it was someone trustworthy but then he said the man's name was Emrys! Emrys, Gaius! I'm Emrys. What am I meant to do?"

Merlin had said all of this without seeming to take a breath and once he had finished his speech appeared to deflate and sink back into the hard mattress.

Gaius put his hand around Merlin's shoulders, trying to find a way to comfort the boy he considered almost a son.

"First things first, did you really think that it was necessary to use magic to clean Arthur's clothes? What if you had been caught?" Gaius waved his had at the boy next to him, who had opened his mouth to defend himself. "Secondly, you must go talk to the druids immediately. Either they are playing a dangerous game and are trying to force you into the open, or someone is pretending to be you. If it's the first case, which I suspect it is, you must come up with a plan quickly to conceal your identity. However if a common sorcerer has heard the tale of Emrys and thought he could gain some advantage with the King, you must stop him. Else he could cause irreparable damage to the relationship between Arthur and the Druids."

Merlin look slightly mollified for a moment before having another realisation.

"But Gaius it's less than ten hours until dawn and I have no idea where to find the Druids! They could be anywhere in the forest and I can't sneak a horse out of Camelot with me because despite being completely useless, even the guards will notice a horse!"

"Merlin. Breathe. You said that they were arriving a dawn, yes? Well then they mustn't be very far from the city walls. And besides, you're forgetting something very important!"

Merlin looked up hesitantly. "What is it?"

Gaius smiled at him. "Why your magic of course! You know how to do a simple tracking spell, I know that much. It shouldn't take you more than an hour to find them."

"Oh Gaius you're a genius! I'll leave right now!" The boy jumped up and hurried to the door.

"Merlin, wait!" Gaius stood up slowly and made his way to one of the tables in the room. After searching through the piles of parchment, ingredients and potions for practically everything, Gaius pulled out a small bottle containing a bright blue liquid. "I made another potion to reverse the effects of the aging spell. You probably won't need it, but if you have to confront an imposter, it may be best if you don't look like yourself."

"Thank you Gaius! I didn't even think of that. Hopefully I'll see you in the morning but if I'm late back, do NOT tell Arthur I was in the tavern." Merlin took the offered bottle, tucked it into his pocket and disappeared from the room as quickly as he arrived.

The old man smiled. Life with Merlin as his ward was a lot of things, but it definitely wasn't boring.

A/N Hello again! Chapter two as promised. I would have had it up a few hours ago but life got in the way. I didn't expect Merlin's conversation with Gaius to go on this long but oh well.

Three things to say. First, thank you all so much for the reviews, follows and favs! I didn't expect to get much of a response for my first fic so I'm so grateful! To catherine10: All will be revealed soon….

Second, I forgot to mention this in chapter one but this story is set between season 4 and 5.

Finally, School starts again tomorrow so my updates will probably drop to about once a week. Sorry about that!

I'll try and get chapter 3 up soonish so I'll see you then

-Indigo


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The moon was high in the sky, casting a mysterious light on forest. It was hard to see through the trees and the occasional rustling from the undergrowth betrayed the animals hiding behind the trees. It would be almost impossible to find your way through the darkness if you didn't know exactly where you were going and weren't completely confident with the route. Or if you didn't have the help of magic.

Merlin stood at the edge of the forest. It had been ridiculously easy to get past the guards and sneak out of Camelot. After all these years they still managed to be distracted by an enchanted coin rolling past them. His eyes turning gold he saw the track ahead. His magic revealed the path to a small campfire about a two kilometres away. When his eyes turned to back to blue and he could see what was directly in front of him again, Merlin smiled. They weren't even trying to hide their presence.

Setting off at a brisk pace, Merlin got about 100 meters before he realised that even though he knew exactly where to go, his clumsiness would probably mean he would break his leg on a fallen tree branch in this darkness. Even though he knew that there would be no one around at this time of night, Merlin still whispered his spell.

 _Ácolitus mín ánpæþ_

Raising his hand in front of him as his eyes flashed golden again. A ball of light emerged from his hand and stoped in front of him. It cast a golden light on everything. As Merlin stepped forwards the light moved forwards with him. It always stayed exactly one metre in front of him.

Now that he could see clearly see the path ahead, it was easy to make it to the campfire his magic had shown him. Merlin actually enjoyed the chance to clear his head. It gave him time to think of a plan of action. In fact, Merlin was so deep in thought that he almost walked straight into the clearing that contained a small campfire and half a dozen men.

Merlin silently back-tracked until he was hidden by the trees. His eyes glowed as he whispered

 _Ácwencan_

The golden ball of light disappeared as if it had never been there in the first place. In it's place, Merlin suddenly felt the cold and the darkness of the night. Creeping forwards again, Merlin hid himself behind a broad tree trunk, trying to determine who these strangers were.

A rough voice that Merlin did not recognize came floating out of the darkness, "Are you sure King Arthur hasn't met Emrys? Because if he has then all of this will be for nothing and we will be arrested the moment he sees us."

"Relax, Arthur has never even heard of Emrys. Well, perhaps he has heard the legends but he does not believe them to be real." The second voice was smoother, more charismatic and spoke with authority. He was obviously the leader of this enterprise.

A new voice answered him. "Well at least he has some sense. Everyone knows Emrys is just a fairy-tale that the druids tell themselves to give themselves false hope."

Merlin fumed silently. He didn't really care that they were pretending to be him. Merlin didn't exactly think that much of himself. What angered him was how these men were disrespecting the Druids. They were a race of powerful people who used their powers for healing. These men were going to destroy everything that the Druids stood for. Seething with rage, Merlin whispered a spell.

M _iht dagan, beþecce me. Adeadaþ þisne gast min freondum ond min feondum_

Looking down at his hands, Merlin watched as they became wrinkled and twisted. He patted his chin and felt the long flowing white beard that erupted. He even winced in pain as his joints began to pain him. If he were to summon a mirror now, Merlin would hardly recognize the eighty-year-old man that would stare back at him. After setting his face into what Merlin hoped was a menacing scowl, he marched into the clearing.

The men leapt to their feet. A few of them even drew their swords. A particularly large man who was wearing a ripped red shirt under a dark leather jacket strode over to Merlin and pointed his rather large sword at him.

"I would suggest you turn around and walk out of here as fast as you can. These woods aren't safe for an old man after dark."

Merlin let out a bark-like laugh. This was the first man he had heard. It was really quite funny how accurately his appearance matched his voice. Merlin genuinely had to restrain himself from laughing again when the man growled at him. An honest-to-god growl.

"What's so funny old man? Is your brain addled? It must be if you're out so late all by yourself."

That drew a laugh from the watching thugs. Merlin decided it was time to take them down a notch.

"Do not be offended. I was merely amused at the idea that _you_ were trying to _threaten_ me. However, I thank you for your concern, but I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

The men stared. The one standing in front of him looked baffled. He wasn't used to people mocking him. He was more used to them running in terror and begging for forgiveness. This old man actually had the audacity to look bored. Refusing to be shown up in front of his companions, the man drew himself up to his full height and continued threatening this stranger.

"I am Ranik the Great, vanquisher of the Beast of Formidinis and bane of the dreaded Canis Crinitus! Who do you think _you_ are to challenge _me_?"

Ranik had ended his small speech with a roar, just for dramatic effect. Merlin was not impressed. He had never liked people who bragged about their accomplishments or tried to intimidate others with past deeds. It was one of the reasons that he had hated Arthur so much when he had first met him. He had relished in telling Merlin who he was and who his father was. Merlin arranged his ancient face into mock shame.

"Why, how rude of me! I've walked in here and forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Emrys." Merlin smiled as he delivered he announced himself. He was getting so bored working for Arthur all day; it would be fun to humble these brutes.

As expected, his statement drew a large reaction. The braver men stepped forwards, brandishing swords, while the rest hesitantly took a step back. Ranik snarled.

"How dare you! I-"

"Enough."

Merlin started. The voice that cut across Ranik's was quiet but the effect it had was immediate. Ranik's shoulders stooped and he actually took a step back. Turning, Merlin found the source to be a small dark-haired man wearing deep blue robes who had been sitting quietly on a fallen log until that moment. When he lifted his head, Merlin saw his face for the first time. He looked to be around fifty but had aged well. His eyes were a dark green and although the small scars on his cheeks showed he had lived a violent life, he looked calm and trustworthy. Even with one word, Merlin realised that he was the second voice he had heard. He was the man he had assumed to be the leader. His thoughts were cut short as the man stood up to address him.

"That is quite a claim. Emrys is nothing but a story, is he not? My name is Mycrin, I would be much appreciated if you told us your real name."

Merlin shook his head. "Well if Emrys is "just a story" then why are you and your merry men planning on arriving in Camelot tomorrow under that name?"

The men were truly shocked at that one. Merlin smirked at their open mouths. Even Mycrin lost his composure for a moment.

"It's not that difficult to figure out. When I heard that the King believes he will be meeting with me in the morning, I came to find who was using my name. Plus you're the only group less than an hour away from Camelot so I don't really see who else it could be? Unless of course it's a complete coincidence that a band of money-grabbing thugs like yourselves are sitting out here in the woods for no reason?"

None of the men knew what to say. They all looked at Mycrin for support. Pausing for a second to collect his thoughts, Mycrin walked over to Merlin.

"So we are going to the castle tomorrow. We're going to tell the King that we're from the Druids and we need more gold to survive. He'll take pity on us and we're loaded. What are you going to do to stop us, old man?"

Mycrin waved his hand. All of his men suddenly surged forwards with their swords out. Some even let lose a battle cry.

Merlin rolled his eyes. Honestly, why did they always think that charging with swords was the answer? It never worked against magic. Throwing his hands out, Merlin send a shockwave that knocked over all of the men flying backwards.

Some flew into trees and hit their heads. Those ones didn't get up again. The other four landed on the ground and slowly sat up, groaning and rubbing their heads.

Unfortunately, Mycrin was the first to recover. He stood and murmured a spell that Merlin couldn't hear. However, he did feel its effects. The wind picked up and the leaves on the ground began to swirl upwards until there was a many tornado in the middle of the clearing.

"How do you like that? I learnt that one from a druid a long time ago. Only the most powerful of- WHAT? How did you do that?"

His astonishment rose from the fact that Merlin had calmed the winds with a few words. He really shouldn't be that stunned. Merlin had first used that spell years ago when defending Ealdor with Arthur. It wasn't that hard to master and the counter-spell was simple.

"Wh-who are you?"

Merlin smiled. That was the answer everyone wanted.

"I told you. I am Emrys." he responded simply.

The thugs, the ones who could, scrambled up and ran into the night. Mycrin stood still, frozen in terror. His eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open. Now would be the perfect time to get some answers. Merlin stalked forward until he was less than a meter from the stunned sorcerer.

"Now then. How did you contact the King, and when?"

Breathing heavily, Mycrin stuttered out an answer. "W-we intercepted the Druids' messenger. We s-s-said that if he didn't tell the King that we wo-would be there by morning, we'd k-k-kill him. Oh god I'm so sorry! P-P-Please d-don't kill me!"

The man burst into tears, while Merlin was deep in thought. So the Druids were actually coming and they did plan to talk with Arthur.

"When will they arrive?" Mycrin answered by sobbing more. "Answer me!"

"F-Four days! He said that th-th-they had to sp-speak with Emrys first!"

Merlin sighed. There was nothing more he could get out of this man. As he looked at the man cowering in front of him, Merlin could hardly believe that he had almost been intimidating just five minutes before.

"Go."

Mycrin looked up, and sniffed.

"G-G-Go? Y-y-you aren't going to ki-kill me?"

"No. As long as you promise to leave and never return to Camelot, I will spare your life."

"Thank you! I will never return! You have my word."

The sorcerer scrambled up off his knees and fled into the forest leaving Merlin alone with the campfire and his thoughts.

Before Merlin left the clearing, he had to do two things. First he murmured a spell to bring back his ball of light. This was so that the dawn patrol wouldn't find him lying on the ground in the middle of the forest because he'd tripped on an unseen log and broken his leg. Then he changed back into his normal body because there was no way he was going to attempt to walk back to Camelot as an old man that could barely stand up straight

Merlin stretched and ran his hands through his hair. It felt so good to be young again, not eighty years old with severe back issues. Turning he walked back the way he had come, his magic showing him the way to go.

Unbeknownst to Merlin, he wasn't as alone as he thought. Hiding behind a tree was Ranik, who had returned to the clearing to collect his bag of gold that was resting against a log. He watched in amazement as the powerful, intimidating old man that he had fled from, turned into a dark haired smiling young boy. Ranik memorised every detail of the boy's face. He smiled. Someone was going to pay a lot of money for this information, now he just had to find them.

A/N Hey guys! Chapter three is here! It's a lot longer than I expected but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I originally intended for Merlin to meet with the Druids but I realised I had a chance to and some small BAMF!Merlin and who doesn't love that? And don't forget about Ranik, he will come back soon….

Thanks for all the support and love, it means the world to me. Chapter 4 will unfortunately probably come next week. I have a lot of work to do but it is in progress!

See you then!

-Indigo


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Dawn was still a long time away when Merlin finally managed to sneak back into the castle, so he figured he could get a few hours rest. In fact if he was lucky, he might be able to get a solid seven hours, which was actually an improvement to usual. Perhaps using magic to do his chores wasn't such a terrible idea after all.

He crept through the empty halls of the castle, having long since memorized the scheduled patrols that the guards did during the night. It was actually possible for an intruder to walk from the lower town straight into the King's chambers if they timed it right. Merlin had considered pointing out this obvious security flaw, but quickly realized that more guards meant more chances for someone to discover him sneaking in and out of Camelot. Even worse, one of them might stumble upon him using his magic to help the King and then where would he be? Actually Merlin knew the answer to that question. He would be locked in a cell awaiting a pyre to be built for his own execution. Well, that wasn't quite fair. He'd most likely be locked in a cell waiting for his biased trial to begin. Unfortunately Merlin wasn't sure whether it would be biased in his favor or not.

Even after all his years of faithful service and friendship, Merlin still hadn't found the courage to tell Arthur what he was and what he could do. Arthur's views on magic were always shifting. Some days he would claim that maybe it wasn't all bad. Those were the days when Merlin had hope for the future. Other days, a sorcerer would attack Camelot and Arthur would say magic corrupts and could be used only for evil. Every time Merlin thought Arthur was ready to sit down and talk about magic in a rational way, Morgana would come and mess everything up.

Now though… If Arthur was willing to negotiate with the Druids without Merlin subtly convincing him to make the choice, then it was a giant step in the right direction. A peaceful truce with known magic users could be fantastic. The Druids wouldn't have to live their lives in constant danger and could even show Arthur the beauty in magic. And if that happened then Arthur might even accept Merlin for who he is and forgive him for hiding his powers all these years.

Merlin smiled to himself. He often dreamed of a time when he didn't have to hide. Of a time when he could deal with the problems that faced Camelot without having to sneak about at night. When he could do more to help in a fight than just dropping the occasional branch and making swords fly. It wasn't recognition he craved. Merlin didn't care for titles or praise. No, all he wanted was to do more to help. To be able to create a butterfly to make a small child laugh, to heal a wounded soldier with a few short words and to protect Arthur and Camelot without retribution. And above all, Merlin just wanted to be himself.

Merlin reached the door to Gaius's chamber and pushed the door open. As he stepped through the door, he looked around to see where Gaius was. As expected, the old man was fast asleep in his bed. Judging by the candle flickering on the table, Gaius had tried to stay awake until his ward got back. Merlin appreciated the effort but he was glad that his mentor had gone to sleep. Gaius worked so hard to help Merlin as well as keeping the court healthy. He deserved his rest. Besides Gaius wasn't as young as he used to be. Merlin was in awe of how the man managed to keep going after all these years, especially after using an aging spell. Even though Gaius wasn't eighty (yet), Merlin understood the struggles that he was going through.

Carefully he walked across the room and blew out the candle. Then he headed over to Gaius's sleeping form. Merlin gently pulled the blanket up to cover the old man. He stirred slightly and Merlin stepped back so quickly that he almost fell over for the second time today. When it was clear that Gaius was still asleep, Merlin tiptoed towards his room. Being extra careful not to walk into any tables, Merlin made it to his room and closed the door behind him.

Merlin took his shoes off and collapsed into bed. He'd get changed into his best clothes in the morning.

Wait. He was meant to wear his best clothes to meet Emrys. Except Emrys wasn't coming. Oh dear. Rolling over, he tried to think of a lie to tell Arthur.

That the druids had been delayed in one of the outlying villages? No, that wouldn't work. Arthur would ask how Merlin knew that.

That they were sick? No, Arthur would try to send Gaius to help them. Sometimes it was annoying how good-natured he was.

That it was a special religious day and they couldn't travel? That might work. Tell Arthur that he had done some reading on the Druids and their customs and he'd realized that yesterday had some special symbolism and the Druids couldn't travel? But then why would the Druids tell Arthur that he would be here in the morning if they knew they weren't.

Merlin let out a deep breath. This was so hard. Merlin wasn't really that good at lying. The fact that he'd managed to hide his powers for all this time was a miracle. Since Gaius knew about his magic, it was practically impossible for him to lie to his guardian. Gaius would just do his eyebrow thing and the truth would just come tumbling out. The same thing would generally happen when he was around his Mother. Sometimes he wished he could just send someone else to talk to her for him. Then he wouldn't have to see her give him that look that she gave when she knew he wasn't being 100% honest.

Hang on a moment. Send someone. Merlin pushed all of the blankets off him and leaped out of bed. He knelt by the side of his bed and pried up a lose floorboard. Lying snugly in a gap in the floor was Merlin's prize possession. It was a large leather bound book with intricate design on the front. Inside was a lot of small curly script in a strange language. There was detail drawings and diagrams of everything from the human body to animals so fantastical that they couldn't possibly exist.

If anyone knew that he had this book, Merlin would be arrested immediately. But despite the many searches of his room, the guards had never found this. Merlin's book of magic. It contained almost every spell he had ever learnt and many more he had yet to try. It was the only one he own. As far as he was aware, it was the only one in Camelot that had survived the Great Purge.

Leafing through the pages, Merlin tried to find a spell he had noticed the other day while doing some reading before bed. It was a spell that would alter his appearance so drastically that Arthur would not recognize him. It was meant to allow you to take on the appearance of anyone you wished. It was a difficult spell, one that only the most powerful of sorcerers could undertake.

"Yes!" He murmured as he found what he was looking for. The spell wouldn't hold for long, only a few hours, but that was long enough for his purpose. He could go to Arthur, say he was a messenger from the Druids and give a random reason as to why they weren't here. That could work. The book said you needed to think of a person and keep their image in your head while you said the spell.

Merlin placed the book back in its hiding place and covered it up. He knew exactly who he was going to copy and he knew exactly what he was going to say. Lying back on his bed again, Merlin wrapped himself in blankets and closed his eyes. Everything would work out in the morning.

A/N Hi! I know, a bit of a boring chapter. But I thought I'd give you guys some insight on Merlin's thought processes and how I was writing him. I know I made him seem like a bit of an idiot in chapter two, but he was a bit overwhelmed and didn't really know what to do. We all have those moments. Besides, this is probably his last calm moment for a while…

As for Ranik coming back so quickly, well he may be an idiot, a bully and a bit of a coward, but he's a money-loving one. So he would never leave his gold behind. Ever.

Next chapter's going to have more Arthur in it, don't worry!

Till the next time!

-Indigo

P.S I know I said this chapter would be up next week, but I thought that if I was going to procrastinate from studying, I might as well do it by writing!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Rise and shine!"

Merlin pulled the curtain back to allow the first rays of sun to fall on the sleeping King. Arthur rolled over, groaning. Grinning, Merlin pulled the sheets of the bed. Merlin didn't really like mornings, he'd just gotten used to them over the years. Besides, his positivity annoyed Arthur no end.

"Noooooo…" Arthur moaned a bit. He was too tired to listen to Merlin's incessant chatter. It was too early for him to deal with this. After all, he was the King, shouldn't he get to decide when he got up. Why was he even getting up now? The sun wasn't even up yet! There was only some pink on the horizon and the smallest rays of light.

Some of Merlin's babble cut through the haze. "I hope Emrys will be here soon, it would be so exciting to meet such an important visitor. And maybe this one won't be as boring as your last "honoured guest". What was his name again? Lord Caronhall? I swear that man could give George a run for his money."

Arthur rubbed his eyes. Druids! Of Course! He had to meet with them. Smirking, Arthur realised that he had a chance to annoy Merlin and that was an opportunity that he could never turn down.

Jumping out of bed Arthur snatched the shirt that Merlin had just pulled out of the wardrobe. Concealing his grin, he turned around to Merlin.

"Merlin! The Druids will be here soon and you're only waking me up now? And look at the state of my boots! They're nowhere near clean enough to go meet such an important visitor! Go clean them at once! Honestly Merlin, what do you even do? Well apart from stomping around my room during the middle of the night."

Merlin inwardly cringed. He'd hoped that Arthur would chalk that one up as a weird dream. But then, he supposed, the proof was in the pile of clothes lying haphazardly by the table. Still, he hid his discomfort under a grin and a comeback.

"Ah but if I'm so useless, why don't you get yourself another servant? I'm sure George would absolutely love to clean your boats. I bet if you ask nicely he'll even tell you one of his delightful brass jokes."

Arthur glared at Merlin. The man knew full well that Arthur wouldn't hire another manservant. He would get too bored of all the bootlicking.

"Merlin."

"Yes, sire?"

"Shut up."

"I could but you would get terribly bored sire."

This time, Merlin got no reply, just another golden goblet lobbed at his head. Being too preoccupied with Arthur's clothes, he got hit on the back of the head. "OWW"

The manservant rubbed the back of his head and winced.

"You know Arthur it's a miracle I haven't got any brain damage yet since you've been throwing stuff at me for 6 years now."

Arthur smirked from where he had been choosing a pair of trousers.

"Well, Merlin I wouldn't be entirely sure that you're brain's not addled. Sometimes I do wonder…"

Indignant, but unable to think of a proper comeback, Merlin huffed.

Spluttering he said, "Well my brain may be addled but at least I'm not a… clotpole!"

"Really Merlin? Clotpole? After all these years you still can't think of a new word to use. Or even a real word."

Merlin kept up the banter as he stuffed piles of Arthur's clothes haphazardly into his wardrobe.

"Well, why would I need a new word? Clotpole suits you perfectly. If you prefer, I could also use prat, dollophead…"

Changing track, he tried decided to try and make Merlin squirm.

"Why are you so excited to see Emrys? Last night you fled from the mere mention of him. While I admit it was hilarious, are you seriously that frightened of magic? Because if things go wrong you're welcome to hide behind the knights like a girl. That is what you usually do isn't it?"

Merlin quickly turned around, but not before Arthur got a glimpse of something akin to terror on his manservant's face.

"M-me scared of magic? Of course not! N-n-not that magic isn't bad or anything. It is bad. Definitely."

"Calm down Merlin, I was only joking. Now hurry up. I actually have somewhere to be this morning. Chop chop." Arthur clapped his hands. Partly for emphasis and partly to annoy Merlin.

Tensing, Merlin turned to face his king. All his earlier amusement drained from his face. For it was amusement that Arthur had seen on his face. Not terror. However Arthur's lack of perception suited Merlin just fine.

In a flash, he threw Arthur's jacket in his face and began babbling in a slightly over the top voice. "Ah yes. Important things to do. Things to be cleaned and polished. You know, I just remembered they need my help in the kitchen. Yep, the kitchen. Sorry Sire got to run!"

And for the third time in 12 hours, Merlin ran out of Arthur's chambers, leaving the king annoyed and confused.

Merlin hurried back to his chambers, but not as quickly as before. No, Merlin had long since mastered the act of looking like he was in a hurry but not suspiciously so. Although his motives were usually suspicious and generally would cause him to arrested if it came to light.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Merlin yanked his precious book unceremoniously out of its hiding place and onto the table next to his bed. He frantically flicked through the pages until he finally found the spell again.

He read through the instructions again. Just to make sure there weren't any horrible side effects. Satisfied, he fixed the image of the form he wanted to take in his mind and whispered the spell.

áwendednes mec æt álibbend ic béon ne. bælignis mec sé álibbend ic onlícnes. álíefan nan æt wálá mín rihtcynn andwlita

Unlike the ageing spell, this transformation was accompanied by a flash of golden light. He also had to stifle a wince as he felt himself shorten and his facial bones rearrange. It wasn't a pleasant experience. When he finally felt the spell stop, Merlin scrambled for the small dirty mirror on his desk. He quickly wiped the mirror with the sleeve of his shirt, which was now too big for him.

A stranger stared back at him. Yet at the same time, he recognised the young man. It had been many years and the boy had grown up, but the face was unmistakable. Merlin stared into the mirror and the face of Mordred stared back.

A/N Surprise! I'm back! Did you miss me? I've had sooo many assignments and a lot of writers block so I gave myself a few weeks to gather my thoughts. I've returned with a lot of ideas for a lot of stories.

I cannot apologise enough leaving you guys like that, though. I decided to see how his story was going and when I say that 84 people wanted me to finish, I realised I probably should. All of your support means so much to me and I probably would have abandoned this without you all. So thank you heaps!

As for the next chapter, I'm going on holiday for a week on Saturday so I won't have wifi for a bit. However, I have downloaded an app that reminds me to write a little bit everyday so you won't be left for too long.

See you soon!  
Indigo


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Merlin traced the new and alien shape of his face with his hand. It was strange, seeing himself like this. It was him, but it wasn't him at the same time. The whole experience was surreal and absolutely nothing like the ageing spell. Merlin could still recognize himself when he was 80 years old. However there were only two similarities between Merlin and Mordred; they both had dark hair and they both had blue eyes. But that's where the comparisons end. Mordred was shorter than Merlin with a wider face. Merlin's had drifted to his ears. It was strange. They were much smaller than he was used to.

Mordred was the perfect disguise. He was a known druid with a connection to Arthur and it made perfect sense that he would be with Emrys. Besides, no one in Camelot had heard from him in years, so it's not like anyone could contradict him. If Mordred was with the druids then it would just back-up Merlin's lie. It was the perfect plan. If he wasn't, then it would be simple enough to come up with another excuse as to why Mordred wasn't there.

Merlin dug through his clothes and came up with an outfit that he was confident Arthur wouldn't notice. He'd pulled on his least favourite shirt, which was a dark purple. He used his usual trousers and shoes, but he'd taken one of Gaius's old jackets, which was much darker than his own. It also felt strange not tying his necktie over his shirt. As an afterthought, Merlin grabbed one of Gaius's satchels and pulled it over his shoulder. He didn't have anything to put in it, but it completed the image.

Now all that was left was to sneak out of the castle, convince Arthur that he had just come from the druids and come up with a convincing lie as to why the druids weren't going to be coming for another three days.

Gaius had been out all morning tending to a sick child in the town, so Merlin hadn't had the chance to tell him his plan. Hopefully it would all work out and Gaius would figure out what was going on.

Merlin slipped out of his room, down the hall and used his tried and tested method of sneaking out of the side door in the edge of the castle wall. No one saw anything. Just like usual.

There was a two hundred meter dash from the edge of the citadel to the cover of the forest. Usually this wouldn't be a problem, as Merlin normally relied on the cover of darkness to sneak out. This time he was attempting the stretch in broad daylight. To top it off, there were guards patrolling the battlements just above his head.

He couldn't risk anyone seeing him, because that would just cause suspicion when he "arrived" later. Merlin needed a way to make it through without anyone noticing him.

Magic wouldn't be a good choice. Even though he was disguised as a known magic user, if he was caught then he could completely damage relations with the druids.

No, Merlin's only option was to run as fast he could, all the way to the trees. He sighed and readied himself.

He took off and sprinted to the trees. For a moment he thought he was going to make it. He was over half way there when he caught his foot on nothing and fell to the ground. Merlin fell sprawling to the ground. It seemed that even in a different body, he was still terribly clumsy.

He scrambled to his feet, scraping his knees as he did so, and bolted the last 50 meters to the forest. Merlin ducked behind a large oak tree to catch his breath.

Merlin shook his head. Of course he would fall doing something so simple but also so important.

He decided to risk a glance around the tree to see if he anyone had noticed his little fall.

There was one guard that was squinting over the battlement down to where Merlin had just been lying. After a moment he seemed to dismiss it and continued his rounds. Merlin slid down the trunk of the tree and sat there until he finally felt his heart beat normally again.

When he felt slightly calmer, Merlin stood up and began to make a loop round to the front of the castle.

It only took a few minutes for Merlin to catch sight of the castle gates through the trees. He looked up past the branches and leaves and saw the light blue and pink sky that signaled the early morning sun.

He straightened his clothes and brushed off his knees. Merlin tried to remember what Mordred had been like when they met him.

He remembered the boy as quiet but that probably had something to do with all the soldiers that wanted to kill him at the time.

Nonetheless Merlin decided to play the quiet, respectful boy who was still grateful that Arthur had saved his life. He was going to be the perfect messenger, and then he was going to leave before anyone asked too many questions.

Merlin took a deep breath, and walked straight towards the castle.

As he expected, Merlin was stopped at the drawbridge. It was their job to question anyone suspicious and one stranger arriving this early in the day would surely raise some red flags. Actually, Merlin was pretty sure he recognized the guard. He often joined Gwaine on his trips to the tavern.

"Who goes there?"

He had a sort of self-important voice, like he was better than the "peasants" he let through the door.

Merlin prepared himself. This was his first test.

"I am Mordred and I am here as a messenger on behalf of the Druids. I request an audience with the King."

The guard squinted at him for a moment.

"The King has personally told me to let no one but Emrys and company pass."

Merlin sighed internally. This guy may think he was the greatest thing since the wheel but he wasn't the sharpest sword in the armory.

"Emrys sent me. It is important that I speak to the King."

There was a pause while the guard decided weather or not to let Merlin pass.

Merlin stood awkwardly and inspected his shoes. They were actually a size too big so he'd had to stuff some old socks in the toe so they would stay on his feet.

"Fine, you may pass. Don't cause any trouble or you'll end up in the dungeon."

Merlin had to bite back a sarcastic reply. "Right. Thanks. Have a good day."

He hurried past before he burst out laughing. If only the guard knew how many times he'd ended up in the dungeons. And the stocks for that matter.

Still the young warlock walked forward with his head held high, simultaneously ignoring the paranoia in his gut. Try as he might, the thoughts remained.

What if the spell wears off?

What if Arthur didn't believe his excuse?

What if he didn't act enough like Mordred?

What if Gaius didn't catch on?

What if someone recognised his clothes?

Merlin internally shook himself. He could do this.

He made it into the courtyard and took a second to take in the sight of Arthur and his knights.

He'd greeted visitors before but he'd never been on the receiving of a Camelot welcome.

Arthur stood on the centre of the stone steps that led into the castle. Usually Merlin would be at his side but not today. Merlin was pleased to see how shiny Arthur's armour was. He was glad that all of his hard work hadn't been for nothing.

To Arthurs left, by the stair rail, were the Knights of the Round Table. Leon was on the step below the King. Gwaine was below him, followed by Elyan and then Percival.

They all had matching armour and capes of Penndragon red. The only difference was Percival's lack of sleeves.

Arthur frowned slightly when he saw one young man walking towards him, instead of the party of Druids he was expecting. Though Arthur had learned the hard way that looks could be deceiving. And he did look vaguely familiar. Was it possible that this boy could be a powerful sorcerer?

He decided to ask.

"Emrys?" The king called across the courtyard to the man approaching. At the same time he walked down the stairs and stopped at the very bottom.

"No My Lord. My name is Mordred, however I am here on behalf of Lord Emrys. I am to deliver a message."

The king blinked. This was unexpected.

"What is the message Mordred?"

Mordred cleared his throat slightly.

"Lord Emrys and his party have been delayed by a sudden illness. Our healers have been able to cure the man but it will be a few days before he can travel again."

The Arthur frowned again. This morning wasn't going well for him. First Merlin had run off to God knows where and now this. He'd gotten up early for nothing. However he couldn't really blame Emrys. Actually he respected the man for not leaving a sick companion behind. Still it was quite annoying. A feast had already been prepared.

"How long until the rest of your people arrive?"

"We have made camp a day's walk from here, however we believe that it will be another two days before our companion can travel. If all goes well, we should arrive three sunrises from now."

"Ah."

Arthur paused. It was a setback, but at least it gave him some more time to review his policies. But something from Mordred's story didn't make sense.

"How did you get here so quickly? Surely you didn't walk all night to get here?"

No My Lord. I left camp yesterday morning and reached the edge of Camelot last night. I would have come then, but the city gate was already closed for the night. I made camp in the forest."

Arthur nodded. His tale did add up.

He studied Mordred carefully. There was definitely something familiar about him. Then something else from the boys' speech registered with the king.

"You keep saying "we". Do you not intend to stay here and wait for your companions to arrive? We have a room for you if you wish to stay."

Mordred seemed to pause at the offer. It was if the idea of staying in Camelot hadn't even crossed his mind. Arthur took one look at his face and he knew that the boy wasn't going to stay.

"My Lord you are very kind, however I must return to my people. They wait for me to come back with news."

The king nodded again. He'd expected as much.

"Well if you won't stay, at least let me offer you breakfast and supplies for your journey back." He held up his hand to the messengers protest. "It's the least I can do. You've walked on foot all-day and camped in the forest. You deserve a good breakfast. Besides, there is no way you have enough in your bag to keep you going through the day."

Arthur watched Mordred's face go through a series of emotions that he couldn't quite read. Finally he spotted one of defeat and he knew he had won.

Mordred smiled and began to walk forward.

"Very well Sire, I would be most glad to accept your kind offer."

The King's face broke out into a large smile. He clapped Mordred on the back, who barely stifled a wince, and guided him up the stairs.

"Excellent! You shall dine with me today. Perhaps you can tell me more about your culture while we eat. Books are one thing but I find it better to learn from an expert don't you think?"

"Yes Sire, it would be an honour to eat with you. And I would be glad to tell you some of our favourite stories.

Merlin glanced behind him as he the door to the castle swung shut. So much for leaving quickly and avoiding questions.

A/N I HIT ONE HUNDRED FOLLOWS! YAY! *pops a party popper* To say thank you, I've done a special double length chapter!

I'm so happy and I can't thank you all enough. I didn't expect anyone to really read this, let alone 107 of you to follow it. And I definitely didn't expect this in by chapter 5. I am over the moon and as a new writer this means the literal world to me.

I want you to know that I've got a lot of ideas for this fic and this is just the beginning. I mean at least 50,000 words. And if I don't update for around 3 weeks, feel free to spam me with messages because you guys are my motivators!

Every time I get a notification I want to write more because I work better under pressure. So don't hesitate to leave a review (hint, hint)!

Also I'm considering getting a Beta reader. Anyone want to tell me if it's a good idea or want to volunteer?

Love you all!

Indigo


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